Euphemism

A euphemism is an innocuous word or expression used in place of one that is deemed topics some consider taboo such(a) as disability, sex, excretion, or death in the polite way.

Formation methods

Phonetic euphemism is used to replace profanities, diminishing their intensity. Modifications include:

To reconstruct the pronunciation or spelling of a taboo word such(a) as a ] Feck is a minced oath originating in Hiberno-English together with popularised outside of Ireland by the British sitcom Father Ted. Some examples of Cockney rhyming slang may serve the same purpose: to required a grownup a berk sounds less offensive than to so-called a grown-up a cunt, though berk is short for Berkeley Hunt, which rhymes with cunt.

Euphemisms formed from recurring jokes popularised by the satirical magazine Private Eye; it has been used by MPs to avoid unparliamentary language.

Pleasant, positive, worthy, neutral, or nondescript terms are substituted for explicit or unpleasant ones, with numerous substituted terms deliberately coined by sociopolitical progressive movements, cynically by mentioned marketing, public relations, or advertising initiatives, including:

Over time, it becomes socially unacceptable to use the latter word, as one is effectively downgrading the matter concerned to its former lower status, and the euphemism becomes dominant, due to a wish not to offend.

The ownership of a term with a softer connotation, though it shares the same meaning. For instance, screwed up is a euphemism for fucked up; hook-up and laid are euphemisms for sexual intercourse.

Expressions or words from a foreign Linguistic communication may be imported for use as euphemism. For example, the French word enceinte was sometimes used instead of the English word pregnant; abattoir for "slaughter-house", although in French the word remains its explicit violent meaning "a place for beating down", conveniently lost on non-French speakers. "Entrepreneur" for "business-man", adds glamour; "douche" French: shower for vaginal irrigation device; "bidet" French: little pony for "vessel for intimate ablutions". Ironically, although in English physical "handicaps" are near always sent with euphemism, in French the English word "handicap" is used as a euphemism for their problematic words "infirmité" or "invalidité".[]

Periphrasis, or circumlocution, is one of the nearly common: to "speak around" a assumption word, implying it without saying it. Over time, circumlocutions become recognized as determining euphemisms for particular words or ideas.